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January 29, 2013

Imaginary landscapes...

Again, for my students :This is an introduction of a possibility to create imaginary landscapes, or real ones. These shown here, are not a final selection at all, they're just swatches of research.
The thing is to create compositions in values, to organize the space without leaving out empty space. For that; avoid drawing only outlines (contours) instead put in zones of values, treating the whole.
Making many of these will help you to find the most interesting composition for any subject you want to paint.
So, before starting, when you're in front of your subject; do swatches! Don't jump right into it, anyhow, you might loose a lot of time, struggling with a "non working composition". Without knowing why your painting doesn't seem to function. It will help you to avoid painting something not worth it, as uninteresting when badly organized; maybe to central or symmetric, to flat or not knowing where to put you point of interest and not making the eye travel around in the painting later on.
It also warms you up and puts you in the right state for painting.

Some advices :You can use pencils from HB and softer (HB to 9B), if you only use a HB pencil it might not be soft enough to mark you darks.
For the watercolor swatches, chose you compositions out of your drawings and try to paint freely, to create a spontaneous feeling. Avoid "fiddling" with details, the small size of the swatches are supposed to make you go for the essential spaces, not the details. We always tend to pay too much attention to details in the beginning.
You can use photographic material as a base if you lack imagination. But try not to simply copy, try making it better or to develop it, to make it your own idea.

A remainder :Details are not what make you like a painting, composition is! A composition is the organization of the space, in values (when painting). When you learn to treat values, and translate what you see into values, you will understand a whole lot better how to paint in color.
Values are the range of "grey tones" between the two extremes of white to black, you should use them including white and black. Avoid making composition with equal amount of white grey and black (1/3 of each). It's much interesting having "a touch" (or a little more) of a value and having a dominant.

"A day without drawing feels empty and several days drive me crazy!"

This is about sharing a painting and drawing process. Not an academic process, rather my way of working, searching and continuing learning.

I've met many interesting people and friends through this page the last seven years, and I have also got the pleasure to teach watercolor painting in Paris. I thank everyone for their precious support and interest in my work.

Please feel free to contact me for any question, or if you wish to purchase or use any of my work.

As I mention further down in this column you can find reproductions of my work for sale on "One Kings Lane's" website.

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Book by Helen Birch; "Drawn from life"

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REPRODUCTIONS for sale on "ONE KINGS LANE"

Reproductions of my work are for sale occasionally on "One Kings Lane.com". (You can do a research with my name through their browser).

PREVIOUSLY ON "OKL":

ORIGINAL WORKS for sale on EXPOGALERIA

WATERCOLOR COURSES / COURS D'AQUARELLE

Watercolor courses at "Atelier du Passage", in Paris.

FOLLOWERS

INSPIRING MASTERS :

Horst Janssen

Andrew Wyeth

Bonnard

Joaquin Sorolla

Sargent

Rembrant

Klimt

Schiele

Lucian Freud

Euan Uglow

Avigdor Arikha

Joseph Van Ruyssefelt

Edward Hopper

Van Gogh

Monet

Helene Schjerfbeck

Anders Zorn

Eugène Jansson

Picasso

David Hockney

Antonio Lopez Garcia

Michaël Borremans

Truphémus

Diarmuid Kelley

Wendy Artin

Sam Szafran

Lars Lerin

Severo Almansa

Pedro Cano

Juan Carlos Cardesin

Carlos San Millan

Eduardo Alvarado

Monica Subide

Paco Lafarga

Miguel Coronado

Alberto Romero Gil

Jean Marie Drouet,

James Jean and

Wil Freeborn

Kurt Jackson

among others

… …

My thoughts about drawing coincides with these statements :

"When a head, an apple, a tree or a piece of bread, beat and subjugate, the hand will follow and communicate through the line or spot, the visual emotion. It is always the revelation of a truth that the subtle viewer will discern without hesitation."

"Drawing from observation is immediate. It requires the feeling: intense sensation, vision, velocity and instant execution. It does not admit any subsequent amendments that we would be noticed inevitably... Whether it's an apple, a face or a tree it's always revelation of a truth that the subtle viewer will discern without hesitation."

Avigdor Arikha

"Always have a book in hand and note in four strokes the objects that strike you, if you do not have time to fully state it. But if you have the opportunity to make a more accurate sketch, study the model with love, consider it and express it under all its forms, so as it stays in your head, embed it there as your property."